Source: FLORIDA IS FOR VETERANS, INC. submitted to
VETERANS FLORIDA AGRICULTURE PROGRAM
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1024077
Grant No.
2020-77028-32885
Project No.
FLAW-2020-08051
Proposal No.
2020-08051
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
AGVET
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2020
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2023
Grant Year
2020
Project Director
Entress, A.
Recipient Organization
FLORIDA IS FOR VETERANS, INC.
930 THOMASVILLE RD STE 100
TALLAHASSEE,FL 323036299
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Florida has the nation's third largest veteran population at nearly 1.6 million veterans. Many live in rural counties with strong agriculture based economies and employment opportunities. Agriculture is one of Florida's largest economic sectors generating nearly $165 billion in economic impact and supporting nearly 2 million jobs. Agricultural employment makes up a significant percentage in the rural areas served by the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program. In these counties, a total of 1,010,021 agricultural jobs exist, and there is a continuing high demand for a trained workforce to meet the industry needs. Many of Florida's rural veterans lack the training and experience necessary to find sustainable employment in the agriculture industry. The goal of the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program is to help veterans transition into sustainable careers. The program is an immersive learning experience that provides them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be competitive for today's agriculture careers. Veterans Florida Agriculture Program feeds the agriculture talent pipeline with a highly skilled veteran workforce and is a catalyst for future community leaders. The benefits of the program include intrinsic and therapeutic value to the veterans.Veterans Florida reaches veterans around the state and connects them with University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research and Education Centers (REC) across Florida for paid internships under the Agriculture Program. Interns are provided Veterans Florida Career Services including resume assistance and career matching opportunities once they have completed their agriculture internship. Additionally, interns who wish to start an agribusiness can participate in the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program which provides mentorship, networking, and training, to assist veterans with starting their own business. The Veterans Florida Agriculture Partnership Panel, consisting of Veterans Florida leadership, participating UF/IFAS REC Staff, and Florida Agribusiness Owners and Leaders, assesses and makes recommendations about program operations and growth. The panel also connects agribusinesses to the program for follow-on internships, employment, and assistance with evaluating the program's success. Veterans Florida Agriculture Program results are disseminated through the Veterans Florida website, www.veteransflorida.org/ . In addition, the program is marketed through the Florida Department of Food and Agriculture Services (FDACS) website, www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Veterans/Veterans-Agriculture , and through presentations at local government and non-government organizations.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
40%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1022499116015%
1213310302010%
2130199106015%
2041122108120%
2121419110010%
7121460117010%
2061219108010%
1353716110110%
Goals / Objectives
The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program's goal is to help veterans transition into a viable and rewarding career in agriculture. Agriculture jobs require a vast depth of skills that few veterans possess in their entirety. The internship model allows veterans to earn a stipend while learning agricultural skills that will lead to a career in the industry. The structured program of instruction ensures that each participant gains valuable experience in a wide variety of agricultural knowledge and skills. The knowledge and skills obtained will be used to gain practical hands-on work experience through the three-month optional internship at a local agribusiness and then ultimately as a permanent employee at that agribusiness or in another agriculture job.Objectives:Train a total of 30 veterans (10 per year) in basic agriculture skills through Veterans Florida Agriculture Programinternships.Show a demonstrated increase of basic agricultural knowledge and skills of 100% of participants.Place 30 veterans in permanent agriculture related jobs.
Project Methods
The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program (VFAP) is unique because it leverages existing research farms, equipment, and staff to train veterans on a broad range of agriculture topics and lessons. By leveraging these existing highly experienced farms and ranches, the program requires no salary for instructors and no purchases of land or equipment. These research farms exist throughout the country, making this project easily reproducible by other states and regions.VFAP will use Veterans Florida Career Services tracking software to monitor and report on every aspect of all veteran interns' applications, acceptance, progress, and outcomes through the life of the program. Program Evaluation will be completed by a third-party vendor.Objective 1: Train a total of 30 veterans (10 per year) in basic agriculture skills through an internship training program that provides structured instruction at University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research and Education Centers (RECs) and practical hands-on work experience at local agribusinesses.EffortsMarketing and Recruitment: VFAP Program Manager recruits applicants with assistance from Veterans Florida Marketing department and Career Services. Veterans Florida will use social media and place print ads in local and agriculture-focused publications, specifically those with higher readership in rural areas. Additionally, Veterans Florida will coordinate with policymakers, industry partners, and other well-known stakeholders to promote the program.Program Acceptance and Enrollment: Veterans will apply for VFAP using the Veterans Florida website to submit proof of veteran status (honorable discharge), resume, and an essay describing their interest in agriculture, what they would like to achieve from VFAP internship, and any prior experience in agriculture. The VFAP Program Manager and respective UF/IFAS REC Director review applications and accept participants. Veterans are placed according to their interests and long-term goals; i.e. range cattle/rancher, horticulture, growing strawberries, etc.Stipend: Veteran interns will receive an educational stipend for the duration of the program at the REC (first six months.) Providing a stipend through grant funds improves program sustainability by removing the budget dependency on individual RECs and increases the RECs' intern capacity.REC Training: Six (6) to twelve (12) RECs will participate in all three years of the program and each REC focuses on different Program Areas depending on the regional needs. Veteran interns will work full time, 40 hours per week, at the assigned REC location while receiving one-on-one instruction and mentorship from REC leadership and staff. The program of instruction is tailored to each REC's focus and designed to give participants a basic understanding of the fundamental knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be a productive employee in that area of agriculture. Each REC has a structured rotation plan to expose veterans to different production methods and challenges such as trial planning, field/site preparations, preparing plant materials, trial maintenance, data collection, harvesting, and various cropping activities depending on season, crop, and individual research program needs.Professional Development: Interns participate in industry events such as the annual Farmer Veteran Coalition conference and Military Agriculture Tours for exposure to career options beyond the field that focus on technology and management systems for the production of food, medicine, consumer products, and energy. During these events, interns are able to network and collaborate with their peers. Interns are introduced to local, county, state, and federal (USDA, Farm Service Agency, IFAS Extension Offices, County Ag Offices) agriculture resources throughout their internship through field visits, informational packets, and local governmental meetings. These interactions also provide opportunities for interns to demonstrate skills learned and educate officials on research conducted during their period of instruction.Agribusiness Training: At the end of their REC internship, participants will transition into an optional three-month internship with local agribusinesses or farms. This phase allows interns to apply the knowledge they received from their REC internship to practical farming applications in the private sector, learn new industry skills, and develop relationships with the local agriculture community.EvaluationPerformance Measure: 50 VFAP applications submitted per fiscal year (150 total)Performance Measure: A total of 30 veterans placed in VFAP internships.Objective 2: Show a demonstrated increase of basic agricultural knowledge and skills of 100% of participants.EffortsInitial Skills Review: Participants' pre-internship knowledge and skills are ascertained both in the VFAP application and during the initial interview conducted by the VFAP Program Manager.Routine Skills Reviews: Increase in knowledge and skills over the duration of the internship are discussed and tracked by monthly performance reviews conducted by the intern's supervisor at the REC. REC directors will provide updates to the VFAP Program Manager on VFAP interns' progress while in training.Certifications: Interns are provided opportunities to use their Department of Veterans Affairs' education benefits to enroll in various courses and agriculture certificate programs offered through the University of Florida and earn Florida Department of Agriculture certifications.EvaluationPerformance Measure: Monthly performance reviews of all interns to gauge their increasing level of knowledge of agricultural skills necessary for employment.Performance Measure: Number of professional certifications earnedObjective 3: Place 30 veterans in permanent agriculture related jobs.EffortsJob placement: Many interns will receive job offers while performing the internship. The VFAP Program Manager and Veterans Florida's Career Services staff will assist each participant to place them into full-time agriculture related careers or with entrepreneurship training if they desire to start their own agribusiness.Additional Training: Veterans Florida will provide entrepreneurship training and mentoring at no cost to USDA-NIFA through its existing and highly successful Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program (VFEP). VFEP equips veterans with the tools they need to successfully launch and operate a business. Whether our veterans are exploring an idea or growing an existing venture, we offer training and connect them with resources, mentors, and networking opportunities.Anticipated Outcome: Veterans Florida projects that 75 percent of all veterans who complete their internships at the RECs and private agribusinesses will enter full-time employment in the agriculture industry within 90 days. Veterans Florida will continue to work with the remaining 25 percent of VFAP graduates to help them find permanent employment. Each participant will be tracked for one year to determine if they are still employed in the industry. Those veterans who do not maintain full-time employment with their agribusiness internship provider will be assigned to a Veteran Employment Specialist (VES) employed by Veterans Florida. The VES will serve as a case manager for the veteran, actively working with the candidate to refine his or her resume, determine their work location and salary preference, and begin matching their skills with vacant agricultural industry positions.EvaluationPerformance Measure: Ten (10) veterans are offered an agribusiness opportunity per fiscal year.Performance Measure: Eight (8) veterans are offered an agribusiness opportunity within 90 days of program completion per fiscal year.

Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program helps veterans transition into a viable and rewarding career in agriculture. Agriculture jobs require a vast depth of skills that few veterans possess but they have the aptitude and motivation to learn. The internship model allows veterans to earn a wage while learning agricultural skills that will lead to a career in the industry. The organized program of instruction at the University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research & Education Centers (RECs,) ensures that each participant gains valuable experience in a wide variety of agricultural knowledge and skills. Veterans Florida assists participants with employment opportunities in the agriculture industry upon completion of the program. Changes/Problems:Veterans Florida accepted active duty servicemembers through the Department of Defense SkillBridge program tripling the number of participants. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities include industry certifications;for example, pesticide applicator license; enrollment in full-time degree programs related to agriculture; free attendance at the Veterans Florida annual expo where certain agriculture program fellows participated as panelists and others participated in the career fair; free enrollment in the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program;and networking events with veteran-owned small businesses around the state. The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program received approval as a Department of Defense SkillBridge approved training program. Veterans Florida is placing active duty servicemembers in the program on an ongoing basis. Veterans Florida has tripled the number of participants in the program to over 100 total. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated through extensive marketing efforts. Veterans Florida participated in several expos, summits, and conferences throughout the final year. One that stood out was the 2023 Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Miramar Beach, FL. This event served as a small but informative introduction of program information about peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions. Additionally, Veterans Florida continues to share program dynamics through networking, workshops and career fairs, providing over 800 veterans detailed agribusiness information while expounding on the benefits agribusiness brings to the State of Florida. Marketing efforts produced local, national, and global reach to thousands of candidates and unlimited web viewers. Campaigns reached nearly 75,162 potential candidates in the third year. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Veterans Florida not only successfully met the stated objectives for Year Three (3), butexceeded the projected completion rate andtraineda total of 34 veterans. Objective 2: 100% of the participants increased their agricultural knowledge through on-the-job training, cross training with other research and education centers and demonstration sites, and engaged in site visits to local farms and ranches. This was measured through in-person and virtual meetings, phone calls, and emails. Objective 3: 88% of veterans who participated in the training were offered agriculture related jobs, are working to open their own farm, or chose to enroll in an agriculture degree program for a total of 30 veterans. Job placement included full time employment at UF/IFAS West Research and Education Center and Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, purchasing land to start own farm, a cultivator at a local nursery, working in aquaponics at a lettuce farm in Fort Myers, volunteer with FEMA for natural disasters, interest in starting non-profit organization to help combat veterans through farming and gardening, and a position as the Communication Director/ Volunteer Coordinator with CREW Land & Water Trust. Other participants enrolled in educational programs including the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program to gain skills to start their own commercial farm, and another earned his Associatedegree in Aquaculture through Hillsborough Community College. The third year Performance Measures (Indicators of Success) of the program are (a) 27 applications received, (b) 8 veterans served, and (c) 6 completed the program, and (d) relationships and agreements with 13 University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research & Education Centers. Final numbers for the three (3) year project were (a) 95 applications received, (b) 44 veterans served, and (c) 34 were trained.

Publications


    Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program helps veterans transition into a viable and rewarding career in agriculture. Agriculture jobs require a vast depth of skills that few veterans possess but they have the aptitude and motivation to learn. The internship model allows veterans to earn a wage while learning agricultural skills that will lead to a career in the industry. The organized program of instruction at the University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research & Education Centers (RECs) ensures that each participant gains valuable experience in a wide variety of agricultural knowledge and skills. Veterans Florida assists participants with employment opportunities in the agriculture industry upon completion of the program. Changes/Problems:Project Director legal name change from Amy Entress to Amy Entress Dudley, dudley@veteransflorida.org. Updated programmatic methodology to receive feedback and offer guidance to active participants. Gains in knowledge and skills previously measured through monthly Performance Reviews and verified by the intern's supervisor transitioned to new method: quarterly in-person huddles in conjunction with site visits and direct conversations by phone, email, in-person and video meetings. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities include industry certifications, for example, pesticide applicator license; enrollment in full-time degree programs related to agriculture; free attendance at the Veterans Florida annual expo where certain agriculture program fellows participated as panelists and others participated in the career fair; free enrollment in the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program, and networking events with veteran-owned small businesses around the state. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated through extensive marketing efforts: Veterans Florida participated in the Warrior Games held in Orlando, FL, which brought forth veterans, athletes, and attendees from all over the world. Efforts to use a broad array of communication techniques i.e., Expos, Summits, Social Event Networking, Podcasts, and Publications proves to be a terrific strategy. All of which produced a local, national, and global reach to potential candidates. Total Market Reach was 1,312,896 impressions. A few participants were featured on the Veterans Florida website blog to highlight their experience and follow-on achievements. The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program was featured in a popular local newspaper, Tampa Bay Times, and on the news. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Veterans Florida will continue an extensive marketing campaign, recruitment, and screening of eligible candidates. We continue to expand training opportunities to include field trips to local agribusinesses for an introduction to the business side of farming and ranching. We will continue to expand to additional research sites where veterans may participate for the entire six months.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Veterans Florida successfully met the stated objectives for Year Two (2) and doubled placement goals with twenty-four (24) veterans. All participants increased their agricultural knowledge through on-the-job training, cross training with other research and education centers, and site visits to local farms and ranches. Veterans who participated in the training were offered agriculture related jobs, are working to open their own farm, or chose to enroll in an agriculture degree program. Job placement included full time employment at UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center and Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, starting own farm split between produce and livestock in Fort Lauderdale area, starting a community farm in Wimauma, returning to operate an existing organic farm in Balm, a cultivator at a local nursery, and working in Aquaponics at a lettuce farm in Fort Myers. A few participants enrolled in educational programs including a Horticulture degree program at University of South Florida, Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program to gain skills to start own commercial farm, and pursuing an Aquaculture degree through Hillsborough Community College. The Performance Measures (Indicators of Success) of the program are (a) 44 agriculture matching leads, (b) 28 applications received, (c) 24 fellows completed the program and most are working in the agriculture industry or enrolled in a degree program, and (d) relationships and agreements with 14 University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research & Education Centers to provide six (6) months of education and on-the-job training.

    Publications


      Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

      Outputs
      Target Audience:The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program helps veterans transition into a viable and rewarding career in agriculture. Agriculture jobs require a vast depth of skills that few veterans possess but they have the aptitude and motivation to learn. The internship model allows veterans to earn a wage while learning agricultural skills that will lead to a career in the industry. The organized program of instruction at the University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research & Education Centers (RECs) ensures that each participant gains valuable experience in a wide variety of agricultural knowledge and skills. Veterans Florida assists participants with employment opportunities in the agriculture industry upon completion of the program. Changes/Problems:The initial year of our program had a delayedstart due to COVID-19 restrictions at University of Florida Research and Education Centers.These challenges were worked through between Veterans Florida and the University of Florida,have been resolved, and are no longer an issue. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities include industry certifications, for example, pesticide applicator license; enrollment in full-time degree programs related to agriculture; free attendance at the Veterans Florida annual expo, where certain agriculture program fellows participated as panelists and others participated in the career fair; and networking events with veteran-owned small businesses around the state. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated through extensive marketing efforts: Veterans Florida website articles featuring agriculture program success stories, presentations at various conferences throughout the state of Florida, posts on social media sites, guest speakers at partner organization events, including Syracuse University Onward to Opportunity, Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Business, and Agrability/Life Project at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and a radio interview for "The Veterans News Hour". Overall, the Veterans Florida marketing campaign reached 463,263 impressions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Veterans Florida will continue our extensive marketing campaign and recruitment and screening of eligible candidates. We continue to expand training opportunities to include site visits to local agribusinesses for an introduction to the business side of farming and ranching.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? Veterans Florida successfully met the stated objectives for Year One (1) and placed twelve (12) veterans. All participants increased their agricultural knowledge through on-the-job training and cross training with other research and education centers. Veterans who participated in the training were offered agriculture related jobs, are working to open their own farm, or chose to enroll in an agriculture degree program. Job placement included the fire department to battle wildfires, field research technician in the Entomology lab at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (REC), owner and operator of Twelve Oaks Community Farms, field and greenhouse research technician at UF/IFAS West Florida REC and in the Horticultural Sciences Lab at UF/IFAS Tropical REC, owner of private farm growing vanilla bean, and finally, enrollment in agriculture related degree programs. The Performance Measures (Indicators of Success) of the program are (a) 54 agriculture matching leads, (b) 24 applications received, (c) 10 fellows completed the program in Year One (1) and are working in the agriculture industry, and (d) relationships and agreements with 10 University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research & Education Centers to provide six (6) months of education and on-the-job training.

      Publications